Bowling ball trap



May 20, 1969 v. E. POWELL BOWLING BALL TRAP Filed Nov. 30, 1964 Ilse/v0 F065: POWELL firroeMsy United States Patent 3,445,111 BOWLING BALL TRAP Vernon Eugene Powell, 1344 Cardinal Drive, Nashville, Tenn. 37216 Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 415,225 Int. Cl. A63d 1/00, 5/02 US. Cl. 273-37 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Summary of the invention The bowling ball trap made in accordance with this invention comprises a frame adapted to be supported upon a level surface. An elongated inclined bottom panel is fixed to the frame and an elongated upper panel is hinged above the bottom panel for swinging movement about a transverse pivotal axis. The rear ends of the panels are spaced closed to each other than the diameter of the bowling ball. The upper panel is supported in an operative position diverging forwardly from the lower panel for receiving and holding the bowling ball in an elevated position. The upper panel may be raised from its operative position to release the bowling ball.

This bowling ball trap will enable bowlers, both beginners and non-beginners, to develop their physical condition and their proper bowling form at home, inexpensively. The bowling ball trap is portable, and is adapted to be used in bowling spaces from 12 to 80 feet. This trap is adapted to receive and stop a bowling ball moving at normal bowling speed, while absorbing the shock of the ball. Then by a simple, manual operation, the trap may be actuated to release the ball so that it is returned to the bowler.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the bowling ball trap made in accordance with this invention, in operative position for receiving and stopping a bowling ball; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 disclosing various positions of a bowling ball and the upper panel for arresting the movement of the bowling ball.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the bowling ball trap made in accordance with this invention comprises a frame including a front top brace 11, an intermediate top brace 12, a rear top brace 13, left side braces 14, right side braces 15, front bottom brace 16, intermediate bottom brace 17 and rear bottom brace 18. The left side braces 14 are adapted to support a vertically disposed, planar left side wall or panel 19. The right side braces 15 are adapted to support a vertically disposed planar right side wall or panel parallel to the left side wall 19.

Mounted within the frame 10 in a fixed inclined position between the side walls 19 and 20 is a lower planar panel 22. The front end of the lower panel 22 is located as close to the bottom of the frame 10 as possible, and is shown in FIG. 2 as being mounted upon the front 3,445,11 l Patented May 20, 1969 ice.

bottom brace 16. The lower panel 22 inclines longitudinally toward the rear of the frame at an angle to provide sufiicient kinetic energy in the elevated bowling ball 28 to permit it to roll down the inclined panel 22 and to return to the bowler after the ball is released. The lower panel 22 may be provided with the transverse reinforcing braces 23, if desired.

Also mounted within the frame 10 above the lower panel 22 and extending longitudinally between the side walls 19 and 20 is an upper planar panel 25. The rear end of the panel 25 is pivotally supported by hinges 26 to some portion of the frame 10 spaced above and from the lower panel 22 a distance less than the diameter of the bowling ball 28. As disclosed in the drawings, the hinges 26 are fixed to the rear top brace 13 so that the rear end of the upper panel 25 will swing about a trans verse horizontal axis.

Fixed transversely across the front end of the upper panel 25 is a projection bar 30 extending laterally beyond the side edges of the upper panel 25 and also laterally beyond the front side braces 14 and 15. The projecting ends of the projection bar 30 normally rest upon a pair of stop blocks 31 and 32 fixed upon the front side braces 14 and 15 at the same elevation above the front bottom brace 16. The elevation of the stop blocks 31 and 32 is sufiicient that the distance between the front end of the upper panel 25 and the lower panel 22 is greater than the diameter of the bowling ball 28. If for some reason, the front end of the panel 25 projects forwardly from frame 10, the front end or front edge of upper panel 25 must be above the level surface upon which the bowling ball 28 rolls, a distance greater than the diameter of the ball 28, so that the front edge of the upper panel 25 will not obstruct the passage of the ball 28.

The upper panel 25 is held in its operative position disclosed in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 against the stops 31 and 32 by means of the coil springs 33 and 34 attached at their upper ends to the projecting ends of the projection bar 30 and at their lower ends to the laterally projecting portions of the front bottom brace 16. The stops 31 and 32, of course, determine the lower limit of swinging movement of the upper panel 25.

In order to swing the upper panel 25 upwardly about its hinges 26, and against the tension of the coil springs 33 and 34, a release lever 35 is pivotally mounted in bracket 36 upon the front top brace 11. One end of the lever 35 is provided with a handle 37. The opposite end of the lever 35 is pivotally connected to a load or link rod 38 adapted to slide through a corresponding hole 39 in the front top brace 11. The lower end of the load rod 38 is pivotally secured to the projection bar 30 by connection 40.

The frame 10 is adapted to be supported upon a level surface such as floor 42 (FIG. 2).

In order to provide a smooth transition movement of the bowling ball 28 between the floor 42 and the inclined lower panel 22, a ramp 43 having elongated side guide rails 44 may be supported on the floor 42 in alignment with and as an extension of the lower panel 22.

The upper surface of the lower panel 22 and the lower surface of the upper panel 25 may be covered with a durable material, such as felt 45 and 46, respectively, in order to prevent marring of the bowling ball as it rolls between the panels 22 and 25.

To illustrate one example of the relative positions of the lower and upper panels, in a bowling ball trap which has actually been made to carry out this invention, the length of the frame may be four feet, the height of the frame may be two feet, and the top end of the lower panel 11 may be eighteen inches above its front end. Furthermore, the rear end of the upper panel is hinged at the top of the frame, specifically to the front edge of the rear top brace 13, or approximately four inches from the rear end of the frame 10. The stops 31 and 32 are fixed to the front side braces 14 and 15 so that the front end of the upper panel 25 is spaced approximately ten inches above the front end of the lower panel 22.

With these relative dimensions, the front ends of the upper and lower panels 25 and 22 are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the standard bowling ball 28, while the rear ends of the same panels are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of a standard bowling ball, as disclosed in FIG. 2.

In the operation of the invention, the frame 10 is light and small enough that it may be easily moved from one location to another and placed in a position which is convenient for practice bowling, upon a level surface, such as the floor 42. When the upper panel 25 is in its operative position disclosed in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bowler delivers the ball 28 toward the front end of the frame 10. The ball 28 is guided by the ramp 43 to the frame 10, where the ball rolls up the inclined lower panel 22 until it is engaged by both rearward converging panels 22 and 25. The kinetic energy of the ball 28 is expended to force upward the upper panel 25 against the tension of the springs 33 and 34 to a stopped position, such as that disclosed in dashed-lines in FIG. 2.

By manually depressing the handle 37, the lever 35 is rotated to lift the load rod 38, and consequently the upper panel 25, to dis-engage the ball 28 and permit it to descend by gravity along the inclined plane of the lower panel 22. The ball 28 thus returns to the bowler for another shot.

What is claimed is:

1. A trap for a bowling ball having a predetermined diameter, comprising:

(a) a frame adapted to be supported in an upright position on a substantially level surface,

(b) a lower planar panel having a front end and a rear end,

(c) said rear end being fixed to said frame in an elevated position above the level surface when said frame is supported on said surface,

(d) said front end being positioned below said elevated position and adjacent said level surface when said frame is supported on said surface, so that said lower panel declines forward at a fixed vertical angle to said level surface,

(e) an upper planar panel having a front end and a rear end,

(f) hinge means connecting the rear end of said upper panel to said frame above said lower panel a distance less than the diameter of a bowling ball to be trapped, so that said upper panel can swing about a horizontal axis parallel to said lower panel,

(g) stop means on said frame to limit the lower swinging movement of said upper panel to an operative position for receiving the bowling ball between said upper and lower panels, in which the front end of said upper panel is spaced above the level surface a distance greater than the diameter of said bowling ball and spaced from said lower panel a distance greater than said diameter,

(h) said upper panel being swingable upward from said stop means to release the bowling ball received between said upper and lower panels in operative position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising handle means connected to said upper panel to raise said upper panel.

3. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising spring means connecting said frame and said upper panel to normally bias said upper panel against said stop means.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which the front end of said lower panel is fixed to said frame.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said upper and lower panels have substantially vertically aligned opposite sides and a pair of side walls fixed to said frame on the opposite sides of said upper and lower panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 499,075 6/1893 Winn. 2,217,256 10/1940 McCauley. 2,798,723 7/ 1957 Cusano.

FOREIGN PATENTS 242,072 12/ 1962 Australia.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 273-49, 53 

